Home > Community > Mechanism of Fritsch–Buttenberg–Wiechell rearrangement
Upvote

21

Downvote
+ Carbene
+ Rearrangements
+ Chemistry
Posted by
Loveleen Bajaj

Mechanism of Fritsch–Buttenberg–Wiechell rearrangement

Anil Mukhiya  Follow

As your heading correctly states, this reaction take the path of Fritsch–Buttenberg–Wiechell rearrangement (Wikipedia). The reaction mechanism of Fritsch–Buttenberg–Wiechell rearrangement (FBW) is described as:

The strong base deprotonates the vinylic hydrogen, which after alpha-elimination forms a vinyl carbene. A 1,2-aryl migration forms the 1,2-diaryl-alkyne product. The mechanism of the FBW rearrangement was a subject of on-surface studies where the vinyl radical was visualized with sub-atomic resolution (Ref.1).

However, if you carefully read this reference, you'd realize they use special method to generate diradical from gem-dibromo-alkene stepwise. Thus, the proposed mechanism for every FBW-type reactions. Earlier, A. A. Bothner-By (Ref.2) from Harvard reported that in a diaryl-substituted system of a bromoalkene (e.g., see structures 1 and 4 in the scheme 1), the major migrating group is the aryl moiety located anti to the halogen (the fact, which has been proven by $\ce{^{14}C}$-labeling experiments). Particularly, this migration of an aryl group between multiply-bonded carbons is one of the several unusual features of the rearrangement (Ref.2):

AlkeneRearrangement

Yet, there are plethora of data to support the 1,2-phenyl group migration through single bonds (e.g., the benzilic acid rearrangement), and at least one example for migration of an aryl group between multiply-bonded carbons (e.g., the Beckmann rearrangement). Thus, based on these facts, I suggests following arrow-pushing mechanism, which would be very reasonable:

Alkene-Alkyne Mechanism

References:

  1. N. Pavliček, P. Gawel, D. R. Kohn, Z. Majzik, Y. Xiong, G. Meyer, H. L. Anderson, L. Gross, “Polyyne formation via skeletal rearrangement induced by atomic manipulation,” Nature Chemistry 2018, 10, 853–858 (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-018-0067-y).
  2. Aksel A. Bothner-By, “Stereochemistry of the rearrangement involving migration between multiply-bonded carbons,” J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1955, 77(12), 3293–3296 (https://doi.org/10.1021/ja01617a042).

More

Upvote

VOTE

Downvote
Joseph Braun  Follow
The link for ref. 1 is the same as ref. 2. Ref 1 should be More
Upvote

VOTE

Downvote
Iffat Ara Sharmeen  Follow
nature.com/articles/s41557-018-0067-y.pdf......@MathewMore
Upvote

VOTE

Downvote